Sneakers: An American Tale

WAMU 88.5

Published May 22, 2018 at 10:06 AM CDT

Whether you call them sneakers, joggers, or something else (sand shoes?), there’s no denying the popularity of athletic footwear.

But with more than $30 billion in sales a year, it’s clear not everyone who buys a fresh pair is playing sports. And with most of the industry’s growth happening on the higher end, with shoes costing over $100, it’s not necessarily advised to put your investment to work on the court.

Sneaker culture went mainstream in the 1980s, when luxury brands like Gucci and superstar athletes like Michael Jordan got into the signature shoe business. Jordan’s decision to wear his namesake sneakers on the court defied NBA policy, but made Air Jordans the must-have footwear for thousands of soon-to-be sneakerheads.

Now sneakers are a default. The athleisure craze has made rubber soles acceptable in all but the most formal situations. Some sneakers are valued so highly that a 16-year-old became rich selling them. While others are so personally precious we’ll wear them until they absolutely fall apart.

From the high-end to low-end, high-tops to trainers, what makes a sneaker great, and what is it about athletic shoes that make them such a symbol of Americanness?

GUESTS

Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum; curator of the exhibition “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture.” @esemmelhack

Nicholas Smith, Author, “Kicks: The Great American Story of Sneakers” @nicholasksmith

D’Wayne Edwards, Founder, Pensole Footwear Design Academy @PensoleAcademy

Mellany Sanchez, Stylist for Drake; former visual director, Kith @mellanysanchez

For more, visit https://the1a.org.